The Dance of Healing
By
Andrew John Tucker, LCSW, CASAC
Dance has an undeniable ability to lift our spirits. I’ve experienced this firsthand from my time (100 years ago) working with artists and performers. I was a young Production Stage Manager (and wasn’t even the one doing the dancing), but just watching people dance evoked joy, exemplifying the power of movement to change how we feel. It was a portal into my feelings that didn’t need to rely on words or thought. It just…..transported me.
Not just anecdotal—research underscores how dance therapy can positively affect those recovering from trauma as Dr. James F. Zender, PhD tells us from his creative article in Psychology Today (link included). Trauma, often an overproduction of fear in the brain, creates intrusive memories and feelings that can be overwhelming. Dance offers more than just a distraction; it creates an opportunity to redirect and transform those feelings into something healing. This can create articulation, hope and increased function which is the productive part of the distraction. It isn’t death scrolling on TikTok (guilty as we all may be).
Dr. Zender highlights how dance therapy does this by releasing serotonin and rewiring brain pathways. For individuals I work with experiencing problemed substance use, this is especially important. Rather than trying to forget pain through self-destructive use, dance and the arts provide a healthy, positive outlet that builds a “sober history” filled with new, joyful experiences. Immediate gratification 2.0.
In my Hospital days, I authored and facilitated a popular group called “Let’s Do Drugs,”; the look on people’s faces as I announced this title was priceless. As they realized the drugs the group focused on were serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine naturally occurring through positive activities, curiosity was peeked. Dance therapy and the arts operates on the same principle: it’s fun, restorative, and profoundly transformative with the capacity to change the way you feel and lift your spirits. So get out there – see for yourself, whether you’re an observer, participant or shakin a leg in your living room.
Thank you to my 16 year old daughter and Executive of Research Corina for finding this inspiring article beautifully connecting science with the art of healing.
If you or anyone you know might benefit from a free consultation with a Clinical Addiction Specialist, fill out the confidential form on my website www.addictiontherapynyc.com, and I will reach out to you within 12 hours.
